As a Los Angeles transplant living in New York City, it always shocks me how small the counter space is in New York City apartments. In my home in Los Angeles, and most California homes for that matter, houses are big and have ample amounts of counter space and storage in the form of functional pantries. But that is not the case in the Big Apple, where sharing an apartment with two roommates can be tricky when you all like to cook.

Having lived here for five years, I didn’t think I could be further shocked until I recently moved out of a rather spacious spot in Brooklyn to a walk-up in Manhattan, that virtually has a sticky note of counter space. My new place has a kitchen sink, stove, a fridge, only four cabinets (that are so far out of reach of my 5’2″ stature) and literally zero counter space. Since moving in, I’ve been using my cutting board on the stove or across the sink because there is truly no place for it. Although that has been annoying, it’s doable.

What I can’t stand about my lack of counter space is the ability to wash dishes. I typically will wash my dishes after every large meal, which isn’t the issue. The sink is actually really large, which is great. The issue is, where to put the dishes after I’ve washed them. For months now I’ve either had to wash them, dry them, and put them away immediately or, wash them in sessions and let them air dry on my stove. Once they’ve air dried, I’ll put them away and wash the remaining dishes that couldn’t fit on the stove. It’s been tedious and frustrating to say the least — especially when I host friends for dinner. As an avid cook, the aftermath of entertaining has become exhausting — with three to five sessions of washing dishes when everyone leaves.

And because I am an environmentalist, purchasing disposable plates and cups was out of the question, as it’s not sustainable and causes a lot of waste. I had almost given up on my kitchen and accepted the routine I’d have to do after cooking every meal until I discovered the Farberware Complete Portable Countertop Dishwasher.

Big enough for four 12-inch dinner plates and pretty and compact enough to sit on top of my fridge (IYKYK) when not in use. But I think the best thing is the 5-liter built-in tank that doesn’t require you to plug it into a water source. All you do is simply load up the dishwasher and press start. Truly, this one requires no assembly. For days now I’ve been testing the hardest of dishes (spaghetti, food container, pad thai, dessert salad dressing holder, etc.) on it to see how it holds up.

I simply add a tablespoon of detergent and fill, hit normal cycle and then go about my day. Sometimes I leave my house, and sometimes I’ll just go into my office and continue the work day. The machine doesn’t have a noisy hum or make any noise, for that matter. After two hours, I have sparkly washed and dried dishes with no leftover residue or spots in sight.

After using this for a couple weeks now, I think it is a great investment for a single person living alone. The only caveat is its small size — it really does max out at two glasses, a mug, four plates, and eight pieces of silverware. Aka, you’ll still have to hand wash your larger items like pots and pans. However, if you are looking for an easy fix, especially on days when you are hosting or meal prepping, the Farberware might just be worth it.

You can buy the Farberware Countertop Dishwasher from Amazon in white for $323.99, or in black for $500.

If you’re looking to add life into your morning routine, check out our 4 favorite espresso machines.

Photo via Amazon